


A Second Vision for Seeing Phantom Wings

by SoloShadowling



Series: Demons Among Us [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, College AU - Kinda?? But not main focus..., Comfort, Demon!Bad, Demons, Gen, Ghosts, Hellhounds, I need sleep, Medium!Skeppy, Mentions/Inference of death, Minor Event of Overstimulation/Sensory Overload, Supernatural Elements, Wings, gods i feel like this fic is a little all over the place..., no beta we die like warriors, no real names used, some language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26295697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloShadowling/pseuds/SoloShadowling
Summary: I had no idea what to call this fic, so enjoy my weirdass title-********************As far as Skeppy knew, he was normal.Sure, his best friend is a demon but other than that, he is pretty damn average.So why is it he can now see things he couldn't before?********************Thank you to everyone who kudo-ed and commented on the last fic! It really means a lot to me that you guys enjoyed it and wanted more!
Relationships: BadBoyHalo & Skeppy, But not really- they're platonic more than anything, Is there a 'Platonic Skephalo' tag?, Platonic Skephalo, skephalo - Relationship, well... - Relationship
Series: Demons Among Us [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909135
Comments: 35
Kudos: 496





	A Second Vision for Seeing Phantom Wings

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry this took forever. School just started back up so I've had less time to write than usual.
> 
> \--Also note: I am a Northerner. We experience fall/winter differently than states south of us... aka, I might be describing fall in Florida wrong considering I saw people down there in coats while it was like 65(F) out while I was in short sleeves and shorts...
> 
> Anyways, if any Southerners want to throw corrections at me, please do~!

Waking up was different.

_ Why? _ He couldn’t quite tell.

It was like he had been looking at the world through tinted lenses all his life and while he was sleeping, someone took them off.

Everything looked the same...  _ It just felt off... _ ****

.

.

.

Skeppy felt like he was missing something. Or something was now there that wasn't there before.

He'd see figures out of the corner of his eye, and sure, that isn't a big problem- except that whenever he turned to look, they suddenly weren't there. 

The young man was half sure he'd gone crazy.

"Bad, I swear to God-"

"Language."

"Sorry... I- I think I'm going crazy, or something." He held his head in his palms, staring at the dark oak table below. "I mean, that's not normal, right? Seeing people there but they really aren't?"

"Hallucinations?" Bad  _ 'helpfully' _ suggested. His friend didn't look up prompting Bad further. "Have- Have you been sleeping okay? I know your sleep schedule is muffined, but you really have to work on getting that fixed-"

"It's not my sleep schedule,  _ Bad _ ." Skeppy snapped, bringing his head up slightly to glare. Upon seeing the concern in the other's murky ocean green eyes, his gaze softened and lowered once more as he let out a tired sigh. "Maybe... Maybe you're right..." 

He let his hand drag down his face as he looked up, sitting upright. The fingers on his right hand drummed out an even rhythm against the table. A disposable cup of coffee sat untouched in front of Skeppy, barely steaming. 

Fall had swept through the southern state sooner than expected, leaving many people unprepared for the chill weather. Cheerful greens and blues turned to cozy oranges and golds- both in stores and in nature.

Crowds of college students made their way throughout the downtown area; some shopping for more supplies, others trying to relish the last bits of free time with friends before being forced back into a classroom. Skeppy was a part of the latter group.

The cafe the two sat in was very memorable. After all, it was the one Dream and Bad left to go _ 'mano a mano' _ before Skeppy stopped them. Now  _ that  _ was an interesting conversation. 

The little place was still boasting summer vibes, but Skeppy noticed little bits of autumn leaves and pine cones decorating the shelves, slowly taking over. By next week, the sunflowers, pictures of grinning suns in sunglasses, and cheesy beach signs (saying things like  _ "Life is Better at the Beach" _ and  _ "No Crabby Attitudes" _ ) will be gone. It smelled of a weird mix of cinnamon spice, coffee, and tropical fruits. Most of the tables sat empty but the low buzz of conversation was ever constant; the customers were gathered near the front of the store, at the counter, trying to get their drinks quickly so that they can continue on with their day. Poor guys were so busy with their last minute errands- they didn't have a demon buddy forcing them to be productive and get their stuff done before the crazed rush...

Speaking of demon buddy-

Bad was talking about whatever, Skeppy had since zoned out after lamenting about the disappearing people in his peripheral. He watched his friend, taking the moment to study the demon's features. The demon spoke animatedly, obviously too distracted by the story he was telling to realize Skeppy wasn't quite listening. The other's voice could probably put him to sleep- not that it was soothing or boring, no, it was just really nice to listen to. His hair was dark, more brown than dirty blonde, but he could see the golden shine if the light hit it right. Maybe it was partly because it was against pale skin. Bad's eyes were a gray-ish green, though sometimes it looked like spring grass if the demon was staring into the light without his thin framed glasses perched on the middle of his nose. The human watched him push them up only to have them slip down again a few seconds later. 

Skeppy let out a dreamy sigh, relaxed by the gentle atmosphere, and let his eyes slip close before opening them.

_... _

_ What the hell?!? _

A sharp inhale made Bad pause in the middle of his story about how he saved a fish from drowning. Looking towards his friend, he tilted his head. "Geppy? ...Are you okay?"

Skeppy blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes just to make sure he was seeing things right. 

"I..." He blinked again, seeming to calm down. "I think I might head out early. You- You were probably right, I'm sleep deprived." He pushed his coffee towards Bad; he probably shouldn't drink it if he's going to get some sleep. The tanned man offered a sheepish, apologetic smile to his friend before standing and grabbing his phone, which he placed face-down on the table. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay..?" Bad frowned, confused and maybe a little disappointed. "Bye, Skeppy!"

And maybe it hurt when Skeppy didn't even look over his shoulder to wave goodbye. The demon simply watched his friend's retreating form, losing sight of him once he walked past the window. 

He sighed, shoulders sagging as he pulled Skeppy's abandoned coffee closer.  _ Was it something he said? _

_ What the hell, what the hell, what the fuck?!? _

Skeppy hugged his arms to his chest, tightly gripping the pale blue fabric of his hoodie. At the brisk pace he was going, he’d be back at his dorm in no time. It was for the best he got home as soon as possible- and maybe he'd just take a long nap.

_ ‘Why is he so panicked?’ _ One may wonder to themself.

He saw Bad’s demon form... but not exactly.

Of course, he’s seen Bad’s demon form before, but it looked almost nothing like  _ that _ . 

Whatever Skeppy just saw, he could only describe it as an ‘unholy holiness,’ and that barely made sense in itself. Instead of the stormy gray covering his entire being, it was a pitch black void in a human shape. Bad's eyes  _ glowed _ white and there was some sort of dark, broken halo hovering over the demon's head. The three inch horns were now almost a foot, though, it kept a similar color scheme: the inky black fading to blood red. His wings were quite possibly one of the more interesting parts, or that's what Skeppy thought. Typically raven wings, they were replaced by a shapeless mass where Skeppy could hardly make the individual feathers. They looked larger too. A smaller pair sat lower on Bad's back, barely visible above the table. Overall, the whole look was different. Bad looked like an angel of darkness, made of the void and Hellish shadows.

It was fucking scary. 

But that's how demons were supposed to look, right? Dream was unnerving, and Bad's other form (the gray one) had looked more like somewhat successful cosplay.

Maybe Skeppy was overthinking it. Maybe he  _ was _ sleep deprived and whatever he saw was no more than a trick of the light!  _ Yeah, that explained it! _

"Oof-" The distracted male bumped into a shorter boy. Half of his face was scarred an ugly pink, the lower half was covered by a green scarf, but his brown eyes silently glared at Skeppy before widening slightly in surprise. Skeppy didn't seem to take notice though, barely glancing at him before mumbling tired apologies. "Sorry, sorry..."

The silent boy stood there, watching the tanned man stumble along and not quite paying attention. If Skeppy had looked back, the other would no longer be there; instead he'd be greeted by the empty sidewalk with no evidence of another person ever being there...

Somehow, he made it home without a mental break.

Skeppy fumbled for the keys to his dorm, cursing every time he nearly dropped them.

Yes, Skeppy still lived in his dorm. He really wanted to move out, find his own place to call home, but unfortunately, he just wasn't financially stable enough for it. It wasn't like he could just throw out thousands of dollars whenever he wanted (maybe in another life). When the topic came up during one dinner at Bad's place, the demon had offered the spare room. Price was apparently not a concern for Bad, so Skeppy could keep his money, but the younger man felt a little too guilty about it. He didn't want his friend paying for him- magic demon blood money or not. Though, Skeppy definitely used Bad's washer and dryers with little to no remorse.

_ Wonder if Dream helps George with the bills _ , he idly wondered to himself as he finally found the right key.

Inserting the key and turning it to unlock the door, Skeppy noticed that his key chain seemed awfully bare, less noisy. Upon further inspection, a sharp breath echoed in the empty hall.

" _ No, no, no, no... _ " He muttered under his breath, quickly pulling out the keys to look at the ring. It- It was  _ gone _ ! Tears welled up, threatening to spill over. He shouldn't be crying; why was he about to cry?  _ C'mon, pull yourself together! _

The first thing Skeppy did upon entering was tear apart the dorm for the missing piece. Somehow he had gotten lucky and was left to a dorm all by himself, yet the place was messy enough for two people.

It was a small place; furnished by a set of beds, desks, and side tables, each piece nearly identical to the other. Rumpled dark blue sheets covered his bed, random blankets thrown haphazardly on top. The other bed laid bare except for the balled up pieces of dirty laundry and empty snack bags. On one desk was his computer set-up, with his PC and headphones, backed up to the wall. The painted white desk against the opposite wall held his textbooks, notebooks, and some empty energy drink cans (though one or two of them may have been half full). A thin strip of grey-green carpet laid over a wooden plank floor in the center of the room. The pitiful kitchen was probably the cleanest place of the whole dorm, but only because Skeppy barely cooked. The bathroom was right next to the kitchen- and that is all that will be said about it because why the hell would you want to know about someone's bathroom? (But for scene building purposes, just imagine a nice but slightly messy bathroom.)

And so, an hour was spent, trying to find the missing charm...

When he finally found it, Skeppy was ready to cry again. 

It was a glass charm meant for holding stuff like sand, though it looked more like an oval than a bottle. Typically, it was filled with little herbs and pieces of gemstones, the pieces rattling around whenever it shook. A symbol was etched onto the glass, now ruined by a large crack running from the cork to a gaping hole at the bottom. Most of the little components had fallen out, scattered among the floor under his bed, never to be seen again. 

He barely stifled a sob at the thought, clutching the salvaged pieces in his palm. 

Skeppy's grandmother passed away when he was eight.

He may not have known her that long, but by God, she was one of the best people he had ever met. She was an angel sent from Heaven; kind, compassionate, caring. Eight-year-old him was sure she could calm storms with a simple lullaby. She was the one who whispered threats into the closet, reassuring him that he was safe from the shadow monsters and night terrors. She was the one who held him in her arms when the nightmares wouldn't stop. She was the one who understood what was going through his child brain.

She was also the one who gave him the charm.

Weeks before her passing, she called her unknowing grandson close, a sweet smile painted on her lips. She asked him about his day, asked if the boogie monsters were still bothering him at night.

"No, of course not!" He giggled in delight, "You took care of them, remember?"

She softly laughed beside him, "Yes, dear, yes I do."

The elder woman paused, staring longingly at the boy she knew she would never see grow up. The boy she could never guide into a brilliant young man with the world at his fingertips. That's not to say he wouldn't grow to be successful, she just wouldn't be there with him, to reassure him when the 'boogie monsters' finally came back for him. No one to protect him from the otherworldly things that lurked with malicious intent...

She shakily bought a small gift out of a decorated box. It was originally supposed to be a birthday present (Christmas if she needed to give it sooner) but she didn't have that kind of time.

Her life was running short, she could feel the life force running thin, sapping away into nothingness- but it didn't become nothingness, did it? It was recycled somehow, but not even she knew how that worked, for that was up to forces beyond her understanding. 

The glass charm was pressed into Skeppy's small palms, the feeling cool upon his skin. "What's this, Grandma?"

"It's a gift. Always keep it with you, it will keep you safe no matter what." She helped fold his fingers over it, "Can you promise me that?"

"Of course I will, Grandma!" Young Skeppy smiled, unaware of what the future could possibly hold.

How long had he'd been sitting on the floor, sniffling to himself? 'Too long' would be the right answer. 

His last gift from her and  _ he broke it _ .

...Not much he could do about it now.

Finally getting up from the floor, Skeppy made his way into the kitchen. He found most of the pieces to the broken charm, each separate part burning spots of guilt into his palm. He carefully put it into a plastic sandwich bag, watching as pieces fell on top of another, making clinking sounds upon contact. 

There was no way he could fix it. Even if he could, the charm would soon turn superficial; it would lose its meaning.

Sleep did not come easily that afternoon, nor was it any better at night. The nightmarish things returned to his dreams...

"Skeppy, are you sure everything's okay?" Bad asked, leaning on the kitchen counter, a mug of hot something between his hands.

Weeks have passed since 'the incident,' and somehow Skeppy was no longer freaked out by his newfound vision.

Okay, that was a half lie- he was still _a_ _little_ freaked out.

Skeppy had gotten used to seeing people disappear and reappear randomly out of the corner of his eyes. He didn't have a good explanation for it yet, no, but he was working on it... kinda.

The whole situation was bizarre. And it's not like he can ask some random doctor what was wrong without being sent to a psych ward. Asking Bad was also out of the question: the demon worried too much about Skeppy's well-being and he didn't want to bother Bad with any more of it. Plus, nothing devastating or life threatening has happened yet! That was a great sign!

One of the nice things about his 'gift' was that he could see more of Bad. (Not in a weird way.)

Whatever caused Skeppy to see people disappearing and reappearing like ghosts also caused him to see Bad's wings. The black feathery appendages weren't as big as when he saw them at the cafe, nor as pitch black, but they looked faint, like a phantom image. Sometimes Bad's skin shimmered dark gray and his green irises disappeared in brief flashes. Bad's horns and fangs showed up less than any of his other features. The younger man theorized that they were harder to hide so he put more focus towards that; despite the fact that wings should be much harder to hide with how big they are. 

The broken halo and second set of wings were never seen again, and his 'demon colors' barely went past a very dark gray. 

Skeppy liked seeing Bad's demon form. Bad detested using it, for reasons still unknown to the other. 

"Do you ever get tired of hiding away all your demon-y stuff?" He asked, ignoring the previous question, "That's gotta take, like, a lotta energy, right? At least that's what they say in the tv shows."

Bad paused before squinting at him. "Why do you want to know?"

Skeppy shrugged, "We're best friends, dude; hell, we're better than best friends!" He gave a bright smile."If you ever need to, I don't know, rest in demon form, don't feel like you have to hide it from me."

There was a still moment, then a pout crossed the younger's face. 

"Unless you don't trust me..." A small whine found its way into his voice, his face scrunching up as if he was about to cry. 

Bad's phantom wings picked up behind him, spread slightly, as a look of worry overtook his expression. His drink made a light _ clink _ sound being put down. "No, no! I trust you! Of course, I trust you! You're my best friend!"

"You promise?"

"Yes!"

"Good." Skeppy immediately returned to his typical, happy self. "What're you drinking anyways?"

The demon stopped, staring at his human companion, quickly realizing he'd been played.

" _ You little muffin-! _ "

Seeing Bad's extra features made it a lot easier to figure out what he was feeling. 

Dogs move their ears in accordance to what they're feeling: perked ears means they're attentive and alert; flattened ears signal that they feel threatened. Bad's wings and tail acted in a similar manner.

One such example was during movie night, in which Skeppy chilled at Bad's place and watched some sort of movie. Somehow he managed to talk Bad into watching a new horror film (Dream recommended it, so it had to be good, right?). It followed the story of a teenage girl trying to get popular in high school with an obvious romance subplot. Skeppy almost thought they were watching the wrong movie. But things started getting interesting when students started going missing; some of them were later found dead. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out the way Bad’s tail twitched during the suspenseful moments, akin to that of a cat’s. His wings would make small jerks during the occasional jumpscare. Though, Skeppy would quickly blink out of it to continue watching the movie. For some reason, watching the tv with his “second vision”, as he’s been calling it, makes the screen too bright and the colors are all off- it stung his eyes. The practically inaudible buzz became unbearable, like it was drilling itself into his forehead; strangely enough, his ears didn’t hurt unlike if he’d been blasting music through his headphones. 

After an hour, the red line at the bottom of the screen was quickly reaching the other side, but the killer had yet to be revealed. The duo held heavy suspicions it was one of those plot twists where the main character is revealed to be some sort of psychopathic yandere, working in the background where the viewer couldn’t see. Besides, she hadn’t been seen during any of the murders! That had to mean something! 

Soon, with only 3 minutes 32 seconds left on the time, the boy (Adam) and the girl (Dinah) meet each other between the forest and the cornfield, police sirens in the distance.

They’ve escaped the massacre of the school. They’re alive. They can live happily ever after.

The survivors press close, lips slowly crossing the distance- and then-

_ SHLCH! _

Bad visibly flinched and Skeppy squeezed his hand. 

Betrayal stained Dinah’s face, blood rushing from the line on her throat. She gaped, clutching Adam whose face was nothing but impassive and cold, his eyes dead. There was a moment where his face twitched to one of maniacal glee; something unnatural, almost inhuman. Without another thought, he turned away, fresh red dripping from the glinting blade as Dinah crumpled to the ground with a thud. A bout of cheerful whistling, some old children’s rhyme, echoed through the area. Adam walked into the dark, swallowed up by the shadows; the camera didn’t dare follow...

. . .

“Jesus fucking christ.” Skeppy fell against the sofa, hand still attached to Bad. “I am never watching anything Dream recommends again...”

“Language.” But there was no bite to it. He looked glossy eyed; “But, agreed.”

The two were still a little too disturbed by the film’s ending to go to sleep or for Skeppy to head back to his dorm, so they busied themselves with cleaning up the host’s kitchen. It wasn’t quite a mess but dishes needed to be cleaned and dried. The younger blinked into his second vision to watch Bad’s wings. 

The black masses seemed to reach for the human, making sure he was at least within wing distance. When they were side by side, Bad’s wing would curl around him protectively; Skeppy looked to Bad, but the demon didn’t seem to be aware he was doing it. Or maybe he was ignoring the fact he was doing it. 

At one point, Skeppy walked out of the room to grab his phone from the couch- probably hiding between cushions. A sour, bitter feeling struck him suddenly, making him feel sick. It was hard to describe…It wasn’t quite coming from him, more like it was radiating from someone else and he was receiving the signals, tingling up his spine, right between his shoulder blades. It was like electricity, but so much different. Skeppy took a sharp breath at the foriegn feeling, body tense. 

“Oh, Skeppy, there you are!” 

Bad appeared in the doorway as the feeling slowly ebbed away, the demon’s face relaxing from one of panic to relief, and Skeppy could breathe again. He glanced at the demon, his second vision still in effect. Bad’s wings were pulled tight behind him, tail ticking in anxiety.  _ Anxiety, huh? _

“Are-” He winced at the croaky sound his voice made. It sounded like he’d been crying, but that wasn’t the case. He cleared his throat and tried again, “Are you okay dude? You seem nervous.”

“Yea-yeah.” His wings loosened up, tail opting to snake around his leg. Bad scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. “Just, didn’t realize you left the room… and I thought, maybe, something had happened…”

They were quiet for a moment before Skeppy forced a laugh through the thick silence. 

“I… I think I’m gonna head home…” Bad’s eye widened for a moment before he gave a tiny nod in understanding.

“I’ll walk you back.” He offered, though there wasn’t much room for discussing. Skeppy simply nodded reaching for his jacket. 

He looked other to bid farewell to Bad’s pup, startling once his eyes met her’s. Rat stared from the corner, her creme fur stained ashy and dark eyes glinting a malevolent red. Skeppy quickly moved for the door, waving weakly at the dog in hopes to appease whatever demonic presence possessed it. He blinked out of his second vision, glancing at Rat one last time and finding her back to normal. 

Maybe the dog was the presence… 

It was a Sunday night, and Skeppy was putting off sleep until the last possible moment, which would be when he was tired enough to pass out. 

Somehow, he found himself in the park.

It most certainly wasn’t the safest place to be, in fact, this was a very stupid idea and he should have stayed inside. Maybe he should have played Minecraft and-

Skeppy froze.

Like movie night at Bad’s place, an energy made itself known between Skeppy’s shoulder blades, making him shiver and tense up. It felt different; it was ice cold and, though painless, it burned like fire, making his skin itch. But slowly, the sensation grew- not like the feeling was getting stronger, but more like the thing radiating the feeling was getting closer.

He did not like that.

And yet he was, rooted to the spot, feet cemented to the asphalt path beneath him. The feeling grew to the point that the being was only a few feet away from him- so close- and he couldn’t run- he was gonna to die- oh no-

“Hey, Skeppy!”

The addressed man was not proud of the screech that escaped him.

He spun around to face the voice, instead being greeted by pitch black eyes against suspiciously pale skin. Skeppy blinked quickly, trying to clear his vision, and unconsciously took a step back. After about the fifth blink, ‘human’ Dream stood in front of him, concern written all over his face.

He hesitantly reached for the shaken man, but didn’t dare touch him. “Hey, dude, are you okay?”

Skeppy took a deep breath before nodding meekly.  _ It was just Dream, it’s just Dream. It’s okay; everything’s okay… _

Dream wasn’t quite convinced. 

“Seriously, are you feeling okay?” 

Skeppy nodded, though his voice sounded a lot more strained than he wanted, “Yeah! Everything's fine! Just taking a walk, getting some fresh air, you know.”

“Sure…” Dream dragged out the word, skeptical. The shorter male simply nodded again.

He paused a moment before blinking into his second vision. Dream’s demon form appeared to him in translucence. Skeppy certainly preferred Bad’s demon form, but it made sense that Dream was supposed to be unnerving and predatory, with his snow white flesh and jet black eyes, as well as the interlocking canines filling his mouth. He honestly reminded Skeppy of a shark. 

The icy energy was still there, though conversation helped distract him from it. Unlike a few seconds before, the energy seemed to buzz at a constant, like whatever was causing it was…

Skeppy carefully looked at Dream, squinting. He blinked, returning to his normal vision. The dream demon stared at the human in confusion. “Seriously, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, just…” Skeppy held his hand out in front of him, taking a small step back, “Move away from me.”

“What?”

A tired look crossed the younger’s face. “Don’t question it, please.”

“Okay..?” The demon moved away, a good three feet between him and the strange human. “Is this good?”

He nodded, “Yeah. Now a little farther. Yep, keep going. Okay, you’re good.”

If this was some new kind of troll, Dream was not following. “Uh, mind explaining what that was?”

“Ah… Better if I don’t...” Skeppy dismissed the concern on his friend’s face. He quickly put on a bright smile and returned to his typical persona, “So, what’re you doing here?”

“Just walking.” Dream shrugged. Skeppy was acting weird, but pressuring him into revealing what will not go over well with the stubborn male. “George kicked me out ‘cause I tried making him this weird cake thing, and then the cat knocked over the eggs, the milk, the flour- it was just a huge mess! And then George blamed me! Like,  _ seriously _ ?!  _ ‘Oh Dream, I watched you do it!’ ‘The cat would never do such a thing! He’s not even in the same room!’ ‘You shouldn't be trying to show off Dream! You aren’t a professional-!’”  _

-blah, blah, blah.

Skeppy was only half listening to Dream vent his BS story. When Dream moved away, the energy seemed to lessen; the thing emitting it was moving away. As the demon moved farther and farther, the energy lessened and lessened.

He hummed to himself at the thoughts. It couldn't quite explain what happened at Bad’s place, but it seemed like a good start. 

After some time, Skeppy’s second vision became more of a curse than a gift.

It happened at random- painful headaches, sudden bursts of those weird energies at the top of his spine, whispers in an empty room, and the night terrors only seemed to increase tenfold. It was becoming unbearable.

Skeppy had gone most of the day without an incident so he should have expected something to happen there and then. 

Bad had invited his younger friend for lunch at their usual cafe. Skeppy was beginning to nickname it ‘ _ The Revelation Cafe _ ’ since some many weird things had happened/been revealed there. 

By now, the summer decorations were gone and the air smelled of pumpkin spice and cinnamon. Today it was busier than usual; the small place filled with chatter of various parties. He and Bad barely managed to snag their usual booth. 

The demon smiled warmly at the human, who sipped at his Spiced Vanilla latte. He’d noticed how irritable and tired Skeppy had been during the week and hoped a calm day of doing whatever would help. Bad wished the cafe was a little quieter, but it could be worse. 

Suddenly, Skeppy cringed, his face scrunching up as if he’d just bit into a lemon. The demon became more attentive to his friend. 

“Are you okay?” He asked gingerly, looking over every detail of Skeppy’s face. 

The human nodded, trying to pretend nothing was happening. He held his breath, afraid his tongue would give him away. Skeppy tried to keep his voice even and pain free, managing to croak out, “Ye-yeah. ‘S all good!”

He tried for a smile but it ended up looking more pained than he meant. Then another aching throb made him wince, dropping the act immediately. 

_ There was too much. Too many people, too much of that energy, too much noise.  _

The man’s breathing turned shallow as he squeezed his eyes shut. Bad said something, but he couldn't hear. 

_ The energy signals were pounding him from all directions. Each energy differed, making it feel like a churning sea of chaos. Was he even breathing?  _

Skeppy was only vaguely aware he could no longer feel his fingers, or any of his limbs really. A buzz persistently played in his ears. He couldn’t hear a thing- his mind was heavy, growing slow as if it were made of syrup and his thoughts had to swim through it.

Bad was mouthing something, concern edging on fear filling his eyes. Funny that a big bad demon could be so scared.

His vision was turning fuzzy.  _ Maybe he should take a nap? Yeah… That sounds good… _

“Geppy? Skeppy!” Bad harshly whispered, trying not to draw attention to himself and friend. Did the human need medical attention? Said human’s eyes started drooping, and his body visibly went limp. “No, no, no- don’t you pass out on me right now!”

Skeppy stirred slightly, a faint whimper of pain slipping through his lips- nearly inaudible but a demon’s ears are sharp. Unspilled tears made his eyes glisten, pink slowly growing at the edges.

Whatever was going on with Skeppy, it was not good. 

The demon didn’t see anything physically wrong with him, so that couldn’t be the case. He reached out with a sense unique to supernatural creatures like himself. It was how demons could tell each other apart; though they were honed to the malevolent energies of another demonic. Sensing another being, like an angel or some sort of mage, took a little more focus. If Skeppy was somehow being affected by something of the sort, Bad should be able to tell-.

…

_ Now  _ that _ is interesting… _

“Okay… Skeppy? I’m going to bring you back to my place, alright?” His voice was soft, giving the other a weak attempt at a smile. Skeppy couldn’t quite see it, too busy trying to force all the  _ feeling _ down. Despite his throbbing headache, the human managed to nod; though he didn’t quite understand what he was agreeing to. It didn’t matter did it? Bad would take care of him.

Skeppy was barely aware of himself being moved, Bad gently guiding him along. He leaned on the demon, stumbling as he walked. He must look so drunk right now.

Occupants threw weird glances at the duo as they made their way out of the cafe. Bad threw an embarrassed and apologetic look their way, hoping none of them would ask questions or get concerned enough to call the police. The police were the last thing Skeppy needed. 

As they moved farther and farther away from the cafe, the groggy human felt the pressure building between his shoulder blades subside and his pounding head alleviated. There was still one persistent energy but for whatever reason it was warm and calming, like an open fire on a winter’s night. Skeppy guessed he was sensing Bad’s energy, though he found it mildly strange how it didn’t quite affect him like Dream’s or the cafe occupants’ had.

They made it to Bad’s apartment soon enough, the demon quickly moving his friend inside so he could sit on the couch. 

Rat rushed for her master, the white fluff of a tail wagging excitedly. He could feel Skeppy tense at the appearance of a new energy after recovering from the overload of other ones. Bad quickly shooed the pup away, mentally promising extra treats if she was good. The canine obeyed, scuttling away just as fast as she had appeared. Skeppy relaxed once more, but only slightly.

Bad guided him to the couch, letting him flop back. “Hang on, let me grab something for you.”

Skeppy heard Bad move towards the kitchen, his shoes making low thuds against the wood floor. He slowly opened his eyes, taking in the familiar sight of Bad’s living room. The demon returned shortly, a glass of water and an ibuprofen. He handed Skeppy the items, who gladly swallowed both.

“Thank you.” Skeppy’s voice was still a bit hoarse, but it was better than before. 

His friend nodded happily, “No problem, Geppy!”

There’s a beat of peace before Bad gives him a strange look; squinting and scrunching up his nose, a look that most definitely doesn't look demonic. It was quite cute.

"What?" Skeppy watched in confusion as Bad came closer, their faces an inch or two from touching, as the elder stared into his eyes. The man couldn't help but faintly flush at the proximity. "W-woah! Personal space, buddy!"

"Do you feel...  _ different _ ? In any way?" The demon seemed to study him closer, brows furrowing. Skeppy grew uncomfortable, shifting his seat.

"I- uh-  _ no.. _ ?" The human tried, obviously lying. Though, to be perfectly honest, it was a stupid question. There was no way in hell Bad didn’t know something was going on. 

Said demon sighed, closing his eyes briefly before giving Skeppy a tired, but perfectly welcoming, look. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I-” Skeppy gaped. He knew he could trust Bad- he was his best friend after all- he just wanted to play it off and pretend everything was fine, and that he didn’t just feel like he was dying back there. But ultimately, the man’s shoulders sagged in defeat, a sigh escaping his mouth. “Yeah, I know…”

He tapped a finger against his leg, biting his lower lip in thought. 

There was no better choice, plus Bad probably knew what was going on with him…

And so, Skeppy explained everything.

.

.

.

The whole retelling lasted about twenty minutes, and Bad seemed to hang on every word, mentally taking notes. 

Once Skeppy finished, though with some details expunged (like how he saw Bad’s other demonic form and how he would secretly watch Bad with his second vision), the demon leaned back in his seat. The human fidgeted nervously, not daring to meet Bad’s eyes, or even look at his face. He glanced in his second vision to watch Bad’s tail pat the air silently in thought. 

It was kinda funny- but this way no laughing matter.

After who-knows-how-long, Bad broke the silence and attracted Skeppy’s attention. 

“Have you ever heard of a ‘medium,’ Skeppy?” It was hard to tell what the demon was thinking with his voice so even and toneless. The other man simply shook his head. Sure, he’s heard of them in like movies but from personal experience, he’s learned that the movies are typically wrong. Bad continued:

“Well… They’re people born with the ability to sense energies. These energies can range from emotional to supernatural. They can interact and communicate with ghosts and other forms of 'invisible' creatures and forces.” He waved his hand in a careless circular motion, sounding like he was reading off some text. “Earlier, you were probably overloaded by everyone’s energy and so, that happened.”

Skeppy had already figured as much, but the whole ‘him being a medium’ thing was news to him. The demon looked Skeppy in the eye, considering something.

“I want you to look at my tail. I’m going to use it to form a number, and you are going to tell me what number it is.” 

“Uh… okay.” Skeppy blinked into his second vision ( _ his medium vision? _ ) and searched for Bad’s tail. The black appendage was bent, pointing to the left, clearly forming the number seven. But for memes, he answered, “14.”

Bad wasn’t as amused, but his lips twitched upwards upon hearing Skeppy giggle to himself. The medium calmed down and answered for real. “Just kidding, just kidding- it’s seven.”

He stilled at the correct answer, regarding Skeppy quietly. 

“Was- Was I wrong?” He asked, not liking Bad’s silence.

“Hm? Oh! No, no! It’s just…” Bad’s tail tapped against his leg impatiently as he pursed his lips. “Only the more powerful mediums can see past a demon's disguise, as well as actually  _ see  _ spirits. Though, most mediums are more susceptible to possessions, often needing some form of protection on them.” 

He leveled the human a look, who was slowly realizing the implication of his friend’s statement. “You said your keychain charm broke, right? How long did that happen before you started developing your mediumship?”

“I- I mean, it was probably the night before? I don’t really know.” He started pulling out his phone and opened up his photos, “Hang on, I might have a picture of it. The pieces are in my dorm, though. Ah, here we go.”

Bad leaned closer to look at the screen shown to him. It wasn’t a great picture, the keys and charms evidently not being the subject of the photo. Despite this, he could make out the sigil etched onto the glass and well as some of the charm’s contents. 

“You got that from your grandmother right?” He finally leaned back and away, Skeppy then putting his phone away.

“Uh, yeah. Why’d you ask-?” The pieces clicked together. “ _ Oh. _ ”

Bad nodded. “The charm wasn’t anything truly harmful, it was just meant to repress your abilities and the energy you’d give off because of it.” The demon scoffed. “Personally, I think that’s a terrible idea, but I guess it’s better than letting you face everything on your own at such a young age.”

Skeppy was once again quiet, still in shock at the revelation. “Geppy?”

“Now what?” He asked. Bad hummed in confusion. “What do I do about it? I don’t know what the hell I’m doing! And she’s  _ dead _ , Bad; it’s not like she can just return from the grave like ‘Hey! I’m here to teach you about being a medium! Don’t mind the fact that I’m  _ dead _ !’”

(Skeppy was really on this dead thing, wasn’t he?)

“Hey, hey! Don’t forget,” Bad smiled, but through his second vision, Skeppy could see the demon’s fangs. “You’ve got a  _ demon _ for a best friend! I can help you, you muffinhead!”

The demon stood from his seat and held his arms out, “Do you want a hug? I know this is a lot to take in but-”

Skeppy moved immediately, practically leaping into Bad’s arms and squeezing him tight. The other paused for a moment before returning with the same amount of affection. 

The medium blinked, trying to find Bad’s hazy wings, and was almost pleased to see them wrapped around both of them in a hug. Skeppy carefully reached out, hoping to feel the feathers but unfortunately, his fingers drifted through the images like it was nothing but fog. 

Disappointment pooled in his stomach but he’d have to ask Bad about it later… 

For now, he relaxed into the embrace. 

**Extra:**

“So, what’s up with Rat?”

“What do you mean?” Bad peered at him curiously. 

Skeppy shrugged, gesturing at the canine. “I mean, why does she look-” He waved his hand vaguely, “-like that?”

The demon looked at his darling companion, who has stuck with him since his first nights in Hell, trying to figure out what his human friend meant. There was nothing wrong with her, and she looked fine-.

“Oh!” Bad finally got it. “Rat’s a hellhound!”

One could hear a pin fall in the silence that descended upon them. 

_ “Rat’s a  _ what _ now?!” _

  
  


**Extra 2:**

“What’s up with you?” The doe brown haired male glanced up from his computer for a moment before returning to his work. He chuckled to himself, “You look like you’ve seen  _ a ghost _ .”

A book was promptly thrown at his head, the attacker glaring with a scowl. The other man simply laughed harder, rubbing the spot that reminded him of his friend’s impeccable aim. 

“Rough day? Nobody to haunt?” He obviously did not get the hint, so another book was raised from the shelf. “Wait, wait! I’m sorry, okay? Just a little good humor to brighten up this little hole of ours.”

_ ‘It’s your shithole; don’t rope me into this.’ _ The shorter glared pointedly, sinking into the ragged sofa. They needed a new place- somewhere nicer. But that was pretty hard when, according to most government documents, you didn’t exist until a few years ago- and a ghost buddy could only get you so much. ‘ _ I don’t even need to sleep. I don’t need you or this place.’ _

“But you’re still here ‘cause you love me and you wouldn’t leave your best friend behind!” The nature spirit’s eyes were a much lighter brown than his ghost companion’s, and they held such a cheerful glint. 

The ghost was silent and still- one could have assumed the scene was a photo if not for the fly buzzing over something on the coffee table. Probably a piece of pizza from Thursday night’s dinner. Which Thursday? An excellent question that only the gods truly know. 

_ ‘Someone bumped into me today…’ _ He finally stated, watching the fly with a mix of annoyance and mild interest. 

“Okay..?” The other wasn’t following.

_ ‘And he apologized.’ _

The nature spirit still didn’t understand. The ghost sighed, irritation lacing his words.

_ ‘A human saw me… And he touched me.’ _

“Oh…” Realization dawned on the other’s face. There was someone out there… And they could help his friend move onto the afterlife, to finally be at peace. The thought struck something bitter inside of him, but instead he put on his most convincing smile. He should be happy for his friend; he would finally be able to leave this mortal plane! “He- he didn’t touch you in like a weird way, right-?”

A square pillow, smelling faintly of mold, was promptly thrown in his face. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry that the ending seems a bit rushed- this fic took a while to write and I got a bit impatient. I really hope this made sense... I wrote some of it while sleep deprived... 
> 
> Okay, for the next fic, who do you guys want? Characters for this au I have planned so far are Bad, Skeppy, Rat and Rocco, Dream, George, Sapnap, Technoblade, Tommy, Tubbo, Wilbur, Philza, Mega, Zelkam, and J Schlatt. So, just tell me who you want to see and I'll try to get that to you guys sooner. I mean, y'all will see all of the ideas at some point, I just want to know who you guys are interested in~ 
> 
> ALSO! If you have any specific fic ideas, please let me know!!! <3
> 
> Fun fact: While writing this, I learned that "mano a mano" actually means 'hand to hand' not 'man to man'... I was originally going to write "demono a demono" to be funny before I learned the actual translation, so I just left the mano.
> 
> Look, I take Latin not Spanish, please-
> 
> ...hypothetically, if i were to make a discord group dedicated to this au or something, would anyone be interested? just toying with the idea....


End file.
